Weblinks and references
The following ‘signposts’ are useful starting points when looking for information. Most commercial providers of materials and equipment also have websites with technical information. Many sites, such as the professional body sites, also have multiple links or ‘portals’ to other sites. Some of the Internet references will evolve and change so you should also try and build up your own set of reference sources. Newspapers, magazines and journals list up-to-date links.Some of the references are links to standards or arrangements for a particular country, but they can also be useful in giving examples of good practice, for highlighting trends and suggesting sources of information for your region.
Note that government departments and agencies may change their name following reorganisations and their publications may continue to be listed under a previous name. Entering key words into an Internet search engine such as Google should quickly give you links.
General Built Environment:
- Barbour Expert: commercial portal
- BBA, British Board of Agrément: approval body
- BRE: testing, certification research and publications
- BSI, British Standards Institution
- Building design and construction services directory: portal to range of commercial sites
- Building Centre and Bookshop: commercial site
- Building Regulations: England and Wales
- Building Regulations: Scotland
- Building Regulations: Northern Ireland
- Building Standards: Ireland
- Building Code: Australia
- Building Regulations: New Zealand
- Design Council: includes former Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE)
- Health and Safety Executive: publications
- NBS - Architecture, Engineering, Construction: portal to variety of sites
- NPL, National Physical Laboratory
- WSSN, World Standards Services Network: links to standards organisations around the world
Energy and Carbon Use, Green and Sustainable Buildings:
- AECB, the sustainable building association
- British Standards Institution – various standards and publications including:U-value calculations; Thermal conductivity; Assessing thermal comfort
- BRE: various publications and web information including: BRE Digests; SAP, The Government’s Standard Assessment Procedure for Energy Rating of Dwellings
- Carbon Trust: government funded organisation with aim to help UKmove to lower carbon emissions
- Centre for Sustainable Energy
- Energy Saving Trust
- Greenspec: resources and portals
- iiSBE International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment
- Micropower Council: small-scale energy generation
- SBIC Sustainable Buildings IndustryCouncil, USA
- SEAI Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
- Sustainable Building Support Centre,Netherlands/International
- The Environmental Organisation Web Directory: environmental search engine
- UK Green Building Council
- World Energy Council (WEC)
Building Services:
- ACRIB Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board: information
- ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers: standards and publications.
- CIOB Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers: standards and publications
- SAP: includes Boiler efficiency database
- Lighting Academy: international portal to lighting information
- Society of Light and Lighting: publications and information
- The Lighting Association: trade portal with information
- LIF Lighting Industry Federation: lighting information
- OFTEC, Oil Firing Technical Association: technical information about heating
Noise and Acoustics:
- British Standards Institution, BSI: standards for Sound Insulation and Noise Reduction for Buildings
- BRE: publication on measuring sound insulation in buildings
- Building Regulations: England and Wales
- IOA Institute of Acoustics: UKorganisation concerned with acoustics
- Control the Noise: information on sound and noise control
- DFT Department for Transport: information on transport and airport noise
- Living 4 Quiet: information on hearing loss and protection, quiet buildings
- NoiseNet: information and commercial
Water and Drainage:
Professional Bodies - UK and Ireland:
- AAI, Architectural Association of Ireland
- ABE, Association of Building Engineers
- CIAT, Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists
- CIBSE, Chartered Institute ofBuilding Services Engineers
- CIOB, Chartered Institute of Building
- CIWEM, The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management
- ICE, Institution of Civil Engineers
- RIAS, Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
- RIBA, Royal Institute of British Architects
- RICS, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
- RTPI, Royal Town Planning Institute
Some National Standards Organisations:
- Australia
SAI: Standards Australia - Canada
SCC: Standards Council of Canada - Europe
CEN: European Committee for Standardization - Hong Kong
ITCHKSAR: Innovation and Technology Commission - Ireland
NSAI: National Standards Authority of Ireland - New Zealand
SNZ: Standards New Zealand - Singapore
PSB: Singapore Productivity and Standards Board - South Africa
SABS: South African Bureau of Standards - United Kingdom
BSI: British Standards Institution - USA
ANSI: American National Standards Institute